Huayu: Brother, I'm having such a great time!

Chapter 37 Opening Ceremony

The next morning at 7:30, the entire crew gathered in the lobby.

The crew rented two buses from the hotel, and everyone boarded the buses to head to the opening ceremony venue.

The ceremony was held on an open space deep within the ancient-style street of the film and television city.

As soon as you get off the bus, a huge bright red backdrop comes into view, standing at the end of the venue.

On the board, the title of the drama, "The Investiture of the Gods: The Phoenix Cries in Qishan," was prominently printed in large, gold-stamped regular script.

Below are the names of the director, lead actors, and all the production companies, and at the very bottom are four large characters – "Great Fortune for Filming Begins".

Nowadays, the opening ceremony is not as mysterious as it was in the film era of the last century, and the mystery is not as strong.

Nowadays, the opening ceremony and blessing ceremony are mostly more like a mobilization meeting for the film crew.

The rest mainly involves showing reverence for heaven and earth, respecting one's profession, having a sense of awe for what one is filming, and praying for a smooth shoot without any mishaps.

Film crews rely on favorable timing, location, and people for their livelihood; there are simply too many uncontrollable factors. If there are divine blessings, of course, one should pray devoutly; if not, one should at least seek psychological comfort.

After the three directors said a few words, the lead actors also spoke in turn, expressing their expectations for the roles and their determination to film the movie.

Next, everyone began to burn incense, praying for a smooth filming process.

After all the participants took a group photo in front of the backdrop, it was time for media interviews.

Quite a few fans came to the scene, most of them holding signs for Fan Bingbing and Zhou Jie.

With the popularity of "My Fair Princess" remaining high, and this being the first collaboration between the two since "My Fair Princess," they naturally became the focus of reporters' interviews.

The remaining new actors huddled together in twos and threes, looking enviously at the lead actors surrounded by the spotlight, their envy evident in their eyes.

Who doesn't want to be a star!

"What do you think it would feel like to become famous?"

Han Dong squatted down next to Xu Jingxing, idly picking up a twig and playing with the ants on the ground.

"After you become famous..." Xu Jingxing rubbed his chin, thought for a while, "it'll probably be like the whole world will give you VIP special services."

After hearing this, Han Dong immediately slapped his thigh and chimed in, "You know what, it's really true. The first drama I ever filmed, 'Extraordinary 24 Hours,' do you remember it? It aired at the beginning of the year."

Xu Jingxing shook his head.

"It's okay, it's not important, I didn't see it either," Han Dong continued. "Once after filming, the lead actress Hu Bing took us out to eat. That restaurant is very popular, and the queue is almost an hour and a half long."

"So when they saw it was Hu Bing, they just went in without queuing?" Xu Jingxing blurted out.

How did you know!

Han Dong looked surprised.

"That's just the most superficial stuff. The VIP special services I'm talking about are beyond your wildest imagination," Xu Jingxing said calmly.

Twenty years ago, the internet was far less developed than it is now. Without the exposure of the internet, ordinary people could not even imagine how extravagant the lives of those in power were.

"Tell me more," Han Dong leaned closer, looking as if he was about to become famous and enjoy these special services.

However, the reporter's appearance interrupted him. After interviewing the main character, he naturally had to interview the supporting actors who had more important roles as well.

After the crew meeting yesterday, the crew gave everyone a booklet with standard answers to reporters' questions, which naturally sufficed to everyone.

The reporters invited this time were all from media companies with which they had a good relationship. When the actor who played Huang Tianhua was answering questions, he was so nervous that he forgot to answer them. The reporters even waited for him to read the script before continuing to ask questions.

"Xiao Xu, how are you feeling?"

As Xu Jingxing finished his interview and stepped off the stage, he ran into Cheng Lidong.

"Brother Dong," Xu Jingxing immediately changed his address, realizing the occasion, "Director Cheng, I haven't had a chance to properly thank you for recommending me for such a great role."

Cheng Lidong smiled. "Do you know why I recommended you for this role?"

Xu Jingxing thought of Sister Gu who had appeared at the audition that day, and he vaguely had an answer in his mind: "Is she someone from Hong Kong, overstepping her bounds?"

After listening, Cheng Lidong laughed and gave Xu Jingxing an appreciative look. He patted Xu Jingxing on the shoulder and said, "Supporting some new actors is the most important thing in the Chinese entertainment industry right now."

After saying that, he walked enthusiastically toward a media outlet.

"A new actor?"

Xu Jingxing was thinking about what Cheng Lidong had just said.

Indeed, Hong Kong cinema died because of a lack of new talent. Even in the 20s, the leading figures in Hong Kong cinema were still the filmmakers from the last century.

Unlike the Chinese entertainment industry, which has many different talents and a constant stream of newcomers, this industry is different.

Xu Jingxing couldn't help but admire Cheng Lidong's far-sightedness.

"What are you thinking about, so engrossed?"

Fan Bingbing suddenly appeared beside Xu Jingxing, having just emerged from a crowd of reporters.

"The air outside is still fresher."

Fan Bingbing gasped for breath, still complaining, "I don't know who was so unprofessional to eat garlic! I almost lost control of my expression because of the smell."

Xu Jingxing couldn't help but smile as he looked at Fan Bingbing, who was showing a cute side.

He picked up a bottle of water from the table and handed it to Fan Bingbing, saying, "Sister Bingbing, thank you."

"Thank me?" Fan Bingbing winked at him. "Thank me for what?"

"Thank you for speaking up for me during the audition; otherwise, I wouldn't have even had a chance to perform. And thank you so much to Ms. Xiaomei for putting in a good word for me."

"You're thanking me with this?" Fan Bingbing shook the bottled water in her hand, her tone teasing.

"Of course not!" Xu Jingxing quickly explained, "I just thought you must be thirsty after talking so much."

"That's quite thoughtful." Fan Bingbing unscrewed the bottle cap and took a small sip.

"Sister Bingbing, are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to dinner to properly thank you."

As soon as he said it, Xu Jingxing regretted it; he had been too rash.

Given Fan Bingbing's status, why would she casually go out to dinner alone with a junior?

And it was alone!

"Not today," Fan Bingbing said, smoothing her hair with her hand. "I have plans tonight."

Seeing Xu Jingxing's embarrassed expression, Fan Bingbing suddenly smiled, "Let's wait for an opportunity. We have quite a few scenes together, so there will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

"Okay!" Xu Jingxing nodded in response.

"Shall I go over there first?" Fan Bingbing pointed in the direction of a motorhome.

"Okay, you go ahead with your work."

Watching Fan Bingbing walk away, Xu Jingxing stood there and couldn't help but let out a soft breath.

He was indeed a bit reckless for a moment just now.

In this circle, a sense of propriety is more important than anything else.

Too close is seen as clinging, too far is seen as indifference, but Fan Bingbing's simple "there's a chance" just now helped him find that perfect distance.

"Xu Jingxing, oh Xu Jingxing," he whispered to himself, "don't get carried away."

Everything should be done step by step!